480647 Fri Jan 18 09:24:44 -0800 2008 10 34 Wine 0 3308355 What are your personal favourites as far as dry Jerez goes? I wasn't impressed with Tio Pepe. Pedro Domeq and Lustau were pretty good. Manzanilla was ok but a little too dry even for me. Andre Fri Jan 18 09:24:44 -0800 2008 151689 Whitefooted 1 3308601 Yes, Manzanilla can seem even drier than Fino. (It isn't, but it can SEEM that way.) My favorite is Hildalgo's "La Gitana" Manzanilla. But a "softer" style is an aged Manzanilla like that from Lustau's Almancenista range, their Manzanilla Pasada de Sanlúcar 1/80 Jurado. You also might like Hidalgo's Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana, an aged Manzanilla from a single vineyard. Other DRY Sherries worth seeking out from Lustau include (but are not limited to): In the PUERTO FINO category: Lustau Almacenista Fino del Puerto 1/143 Obregon Lustau Solera Reserva Puerto Fino In the FINO category: Lustau Almacenista Amontillado Fino de Jerez 1/47 Florido Lustau Solera Reserva Fino "Jarana" In the AMONTILLADO category: Lustau VOS 20 yr old Dry Amontillado Lustau Almacenista Amontillado de Jerez 1/30 Florido Lustau Solera Reserva Dry Amontillado "Los Arcos" In the PALO CORTADO category: Lustau VOS 20 yr old Palo Cortado Lustau Almacenista Palo Cortado Vides 1/50 Lustau Solera Reserva Palo Cortado Sherry "Peninsula" In the OLOROSO category: Lustau VOS 20 yr old Dry Oloroso Lustau Solera Gran Reserva Very Rare Oloroso Sherry "Emperatriz Eugenia" Lustau Almacenista Oloroso Pata de Gallina 1/38 Jarana Cheers, Jason Fri Jan 18 10:12:21 -0800 2008 3308355 28122 zin1953 2 3309176 Oh, yes, I am reminded of a bottle of Lustau Solera Gran Reserva some good friends brought to my house after a trip to Spain. Lovely. Fri Jan 18 12:19:16 -0800 2008 3308601 68466 vickib 1 3309476 Impressive list, Jason. I must wholeheartedly agree on the 'La Gitana' call. That is truly one of the most stunning bargains in the whole world of wine. You can find bottles of it for $5-8 and it is absolutely remarkable stuff. It's not just a QPR play...it's that good. The key with Finos and Manzanillas are freshness. These are not bottles for aging. If you look, you can often find freshness dates. Since these types of wines aren't currently fashionable, turnover at wine stores can be slow. Maybe that was the problem with the Tio Pepe? Best advice is to try and find a store with turnover so they have the freshest bottles possible to preserve the delicate aromatics. Fri Jan 18 13:21:05 -0800 2008 3308355 158444 brupnow 2 3309667 Agreed. Freshness is CRUCIAL! This is why I typically buy Finos and Manzanillas a) in stores that specialize in Sherries and have a quick turn-over; and b) buy them in 375ml bottles to minimize oxidation after opening. Fri Jan 18 14:07:48 -0800 2008 3309476 28122 zin1953 1 3309515 My favourite style is Amontillado, favourite producer is Lustau. That said, often I can't get Lustau, in which case I get Savory&James. No, not as good, but pretty good nonetheless. Fri Jan 18 13:29:11 -0800 2008 3308355 91415 hungry_pangolin 2 3311675 El Maestro Sierra Fino. Huge aromatics- ripe, mulled apples...slightly smokey, nutty toasty tones on the palate with a long long finish of roasted almonds and toast. beautiful. Sat Jan 19 09:57:23 -0800 2008 3309515 70760 pierrot 3 3312639 I have to be honest.... rarely does a fino do it for me. Chilled, on a warm day, it's refreshing, but it's just not my "home" style. I respect it without loving it. Sat Jan 19 16:18:15 -0800 2008 3311675 91415 hungry_pangolin 1 3395191 Like Jason, I'm also a great fan of Lustau's "Los Arcos" (bread and caramel on the nose, well-defined and fine-boned palate, with walnuts, apple and croissant. Acid sweetness on the long finish). It seems impossible to go wrong by picking up anything produced by Lustau, unless you find their style a little too austere. I just wrote a column reviewing the various merits of some Lustau amontillado vs. Sandeman and Savory & James. If you are interested, it is here: http://www.lawandstyle.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=180&Itemid=1 Matthew The Short Cellar www.lawandstyle.ca/shortcellar Wed Feb 13 16:47:35 -0800 2008 3308355 156748 Matthew Sullivan 2 3395621 Hey, Matthew, I just took a look at your brief reviews, and on the whole I'd say that they were on the mark. My only reservation is that I haven't tasted the Sandeman. But here's a question for you, since you suffer the same blessing and curse as do I (the LCBO): If not S&J, what general listing sherry would you buy, since we can't always get Lustau products? BTW, I think that the prices in your column for the Lustaus are for 375mL bottles, not 750mL, like the S&J. Cheers! Wed Feb 13 19:12:23 -0800 2008 3395191 91415 hungry_pangolin 1 3396205 The Lustau Manzanilla Papirusa (avail. at the LCBO) is an awsome wine for it's price; dry, yes, but quite aromatic. Last year, I tried the Pedro Domecq 51-1A Amontillado which was one of the best "wine" that I ever drank; but quite impossible to find here in Quebec. Thu Feb 14 03:53:15 -0800 2008 3308355 11828 Maximilien